For me personally anxiety issues/social skills/ and negative symptoms.
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What about one for the newly diagnosed?
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I like the concept of success stories. Accomplishments of sz folk. Something to overcome stigma. Of course, art would be a common success but there are others who are successful at certain jobs that could cater well.
What do you think you would want to see covered / discussed in a video for the newly diagnosed?
Well, the hope!
One personās opinion:
Point people in the direction of recovery right away with positive outcome stories, let them know some of the symptoms (why they received the diagnosis), then a little bit about how long it might take and a tiny bit about what is needed to recover.
This would be a lot, but in list form:
good outcomes/recovery as likelihood
briefest overview of why they might have received diagnosis
need for patience and excellent, kind self care
short thing about treatments and therapies, that finding the right ones takes time
I would prioritize getting people information about good outcomes/ what recovery means. The first message people get would ideally be hopeful.
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I would like to see less emphasis on āthe voicesā and taking into account negative symptoms. Also something else that wasnāt on the poll: catatonia. Catatonia is by far the most disabling symptom, and most doctors are highly uneducated on how to look for it. Itās not too uncommon, about 10% of inpatients experience some form of catatonia. But psychiatrists arenāt aware of this and consider it rare, which leads to lack of screening and diagnosis.
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You never know how it will affect you. It makes me tired personally.
Iād like to see other peoples stories of hope and recovery of these illnesses.
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Thats a great idea - thanks!
I would like to see more about people with schizophrenia and problems with language and communication. I read about word salads and neologisms and tangential speech in schizophrenics and Iād love to see a video about these language markers and how (if thereās research on this) to communicate more effectively.
Also, that test on metaphors and literalness schizophrenics always get from diagnosers frustrates me and I still canāt wrap my head around that āwhat does it mean that people in glass houses shouldnāt throw rocksā statement. Maybe a video telling us about our sense of abstraction/literalness and how our brains donāt always get this and why.
Here is one of the published academic papers I saved during my time in university on the language problems schizophrenics have(for reference):
"Journal of Neurolinguistics
Volume 23, Issue 3, May 2010, Pages 173ā175
Language, Communication and Schizophrenia"
Here is another on the topic of glass houses and rocks:
Brune, M. , & Bodenstein, L. (2005). Proverb comprehension reconsidered - ātheory of mindā and the pragmatic use of language in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 75(2-3), 233-239.
Thanks for letting me give my two cents! 
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I would like to see and know more about the scientific side, the chemical imbalances and how APs compensate for this. Why doctors choose one over another and what new developments are on the horizon. For me, that gives hope because my son may one day decide to take APs because HE wants to get better, and not because someone is forcing him. For those of us who are dealing with non-compliant/newly diagnosed/young adults, it would be nice to know what particular common terms mean to have a better understanding for ourselves and our families.
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I chose āreducing risk of relapseā this area is to me the most important. This is because once stable it is more difficult to know for certain how to maintain and then live a more productive life. I think some areas of that would be: how to pass tests GED, HS, SAT, Scholarships and applications. Then different sources of coping such as diary tools, mood tracking, medication reminders. I would make a video on this at some point when I get my video software working. I might also make an audio file or mp3 to help people. Thanks for this idea. Now I am inspired to make mp3ās for self-help and skills! Other important aspects of relapse prevention: itās absolutely crucial to avoid alcohol and substances that are not medicine even herbal OTC can be bad or legal highs that are still legal in some statesāare unsafe and not studied or FDA approved. Finding a doctor or therapist who you can always have ER or communication with.
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Thanks for this website, thanks for your videos, thanks thanks thanks. Sincerely. This website is a major source of insight and recovery from my mental illness. Without it, Iād drift out and be stuck in ongoing symptom problems. This website and the people here are so fantastic. A lifesaver for me.
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Something that doesnāt pertain to any concrete symptoms, but something some people may or may not struggle with - the integration of psychotic episodes or schizophrenia as a whole into a coherent narrative of yourself. This may only show up a bit later on the path of recovery, and even then, maybe it is just me struggling with this. But I have this sense of episodes being āgapsā in the narrative of my life. And this is not comfortable to me. I know there is a field called ānarrative psychologyā so I suspect some people may have something to say on this.
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Wowā¦ tough choices hereā¦ good listā¦
Iād have to say getting over positive symptoms thoughā¦ because there isnāt a clear resource available for a lot of those issuesā¦ you kind of have to sort your own way through itā¦
but I do know from my experience that symptoms can be broken up and dismantledā¦ and while they might come back now and againā¦ each one separatelyā¦ when you get a little control over them you can find a lot more comfort in following the philosophy āthis will pass.ā
Really they should make a series about all of theseā¦
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We are looking at doing that. Talking to some Clinicians who run an early psychosis group - and they seem to be interested in doing this. So - it seems likely that many of these will be covered - but it helps to have a prioritized list of what people are interested in, and so we can put our efforts appropriately.
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Perhaps groups can be assembled to best determine orderā¦ kind of in a good general flow for recovery process.
Perhaps start with an intro videoā¦
Schizophrenia: Management and Recovery (or remission)
- Goes over the current stats about recovery and different preliminary info that would be relevant to some who was just diagnosed
Then there could be the outlining and breaking down of symptoms
Overcoming Positives/Negatives/Anxieties (Lotās of videos could be drawn out from this)
- This could be expanded to cover MI overlaps OCD ADD Bipolarā¦ just briefly
Overcoming Substance abuse
by then they might have a sense that their illness IS common and there symptoms arenāt to be feared but understood.
Then the life skills portion.
Financial options for those with SZ - Section 8/ SSDI/ SSI/ Insurance options otherwise/ SNAP food assitanceā¦ etcā¦ just outlining what options are out there for helpā¦
Reducing the risks of Diabetes(general health awareness briefing?, other risks of meds? prolactin akathesia)
Overcoming Boredom
Social Skills
Dealing with family dynamics
Finding a partner
overcoming sexual issues
Schizophrenia in the work place
Then the closing episodeā¦ Preventing relapse and being prepared for emergency
@szadminā¦ at first glance that order seems the most logical to me. I added a couple you could consider suggestionsā¦ covering fianaces, working, and an intro/overview to the seriesā¦ iād say schizophrenia medications could be briefly described in the intro videoā¦ just mentioning things like anti-psychotic, anti-anxiety, mood stabilizersā¦ and all the other categories of tools mentally ill have in their arsenalā¦
itād be cool to see a good modern series about SZ that isnāt super dry or cheesyā¦ just well presented facts and strategiesā¦ comprehensively covering the bulk of what needs to be known.
Seriously the whole first year and a half was seeking out all this information on my ownā¦ confusion all along the way. To have a good sourceā¦ perhaps it could even be transcribed into a book form for referenceā¦
I just woke up and Iām rantingā¦ I totally support this idea!
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You make a good pointā¦ but that is some pretty deep stuffā¦
perhaps an episode devoted more to the psychoanalytical side of things could contain itā¦ or maybe just one that discusses identity issues and how to find the self.
You are right thoughā¦ when SZ sets in you become something you werenātā¦ psychoticā¦ you lose a lot of the continuity of the self and that is a major issueā¦ not just psychologically but functionality in social and physical arenasā¦ The narrative you speak ofā¦ would help to smooth out the drastic impact of the illness in the long runā¦ and restore comfort and confidence by allowing the SZ to know themselves again.
But everyone has to find there way through thisā¦ Each instance of SZ is different.
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personally, my favorites are overcoming negative symptoms and anxiety.
on this picture i believe that every bluet symbolically refers to something that got to happen. by the way i never meant to draw a cross on my nick, anchor earrings on my right shoulder of girls that kissed me there. The interpretation of this, from a religion scriptures, is that God did it. My delusions are so real!
Thanks alot. please add up religious delusions on the list. I dont want to be sheikh.